Warp-stop-motion mechanism.



No. 724,381. PATENTED MAR. 31, 1903. i G. A. COLLINS.

WARP STOP MOTION MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 2, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES ATENT Fries.

DRAPER COMPANY, on MAINE.

OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION WARP- STOP-MOTION M ECH-ANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,381, dated March 31, 1963.

' Application filed July 2, 1902. Serial No. 114,099. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. COLLINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented'an Improvement in \Varp-Stop-Motion Mechanism, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of means for operating automatically suitable stopping mechanism upon the breakage and detection of such breakage of a warpthread in a series of warps when the latter are mounted in a loom or other apparatus where it is desirable to stop the same upon warp breakage.

For convenience of illustration, and because my invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with looms for weaving, I have herein shown and described one practical embodiment of my invention in connection with such apparatus.

Heretofore the detection of warp breakage has been eifected by or through devices maintained in inoperative position by intact or normal warp-threads, but which are moved into abnormal or operative position upon breakage of a thread, such abnormal positioning of a detector through suitable means operating to effect the stoppage of the apparatus as a whole. In my present invention I have eliminated entirely drop-Wires or detectors of that general character, and instead thereof I have provided means for combing out or separating a broken warp from the mass of warps operating in connection with a thread-catcher,which is constructed and arranged to catch such separated warp ends, and by the movement of the thread-catcher with the caught thread the stoppage of the apparatus is automatically effected. The device which combs out or separates the broken warp from its fellows is reciprocated in the direction of warp travel, and the thread-catcher is extended transversely of the warps and movable toward and from the same.

The various novel features of inyinvention will be hereinafter described,and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure is a transverse sectiontial view of a sufficient portion of a loom to be understood with one embodiment of myinvention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a somewhat enlarged detail of a portion of the stop-motion mechanism illustrated in Fig. l, but with the parts in a diiferent position. Fig. '3 is a sectional detail on the line 3 3, Fig. 1', looking toward the right; and Fig. 4 is a detail of the threadcatcher in the act of seizing a broken thread.

Referring to Fig. 1,'the lay A breast-beam A harnesses H, and lease-rods L, and the whip-roll or support W'may be and are of any well known or usual construction common in looms, and the stopping mechanism may be of usual construction, only one member thereof, the shipper S, being herein shown in Fig. 1.

On the inner face of each loom side A toward the back of the loom, I have mounted, suitable bearingbrackets a in which is mounteda slide-bar b it being understood that one such bar is mounted on each loom side, opposite each other, and rigidly connected by an upright cross-bar 13, extended transversely of the warps and below the same, as herein shown. -A reed or similar comb-like device B is mounted on the cross-bar B, the warps w being led through the dents thereof, this reed being located between the leaserods and the whip-roll. Each of the slidebars b is shown as reduced in vertical width toward its ends, as at b, and at each extremitythe slide-bar is provided with rack-teeth b b and with lateral lugs b 11 for a purpose to be described.

The reed-bar B is shown in Fig. I as connected with the lay-sword by a link I), a link being attached to each lay-sword, and each link is pivotally connected with the laysword and reed-bar, respectively, so that as the lay swings up and back the reedwill be reciprocated thereby in the direction of the warp .travel. The. loom side or bracket A", attached to or forming a part thereof, is herein shown as having mounted in it two parallel rock-shafts C and D, the former near the forward end of the stroke of the reed-bar B arms fulcrumed at c on the rocker-arm 0'.

Each of the arms 0 terminates in a toe c for a purpose to be described. A spring s is secured at one end to each of the rocker-arms c, the free end of the spring bearing against the under face of the pivoted jaw c and tending to maintain such jaw open or closed relative to the jaw 0 until positively moved to close or open.

The bracket A is provided with an upright a having an inwardly-extended lug a located in the path of movement of a tail 0 secured to the pivoted jaw 0 there being preferably one of such tails at each end of the jaw. When therocker-arms e are swung upward from the positionshown in Fig. 2 into the position shown in Fig. 1, the lug 0. engages its adjacent tail 0 and acts to turn the jaw on its pivot c from the closed position (shown in Fig. 2) into the open position, Fig. l, the spring s holding the jaws open until positively closed, as will be described.

The rock-shaft D is provided with apair of jaws d (1 the former jaw being mounted on rocker-arms cl, fast on the rock-shaft, while the jaw 01 is mounted on arms 61, fulcrumed at d on the rocker-arms d, substantially as has been described for the other pair of jaws c 0 and the arms (1 have each a foot (1. So, too, an upright a on the frame 'or bracket A is provided with a lug 01, in

the path of a tail d secured to or forming a part of the pivoted jaw CF, and a spring 5 similar to the spring 8X described, is mounted on each of the rocker-arms d to cooperate with the pivoted jaw and maintain it open or closed, as the case may be.

The reed-bar B is provided with two oppositely-extended projections 60 and 62 at or near eachof its ends and so located as to be in the paths of movement of the jaw-carrying arms 0 and d respectively.

Referring now to Fig. 1,.with the lay back it will be seen that the rack 11 is in engage: ment with the segment 0 and has turned the arm a upward to enable the lugs a to open the jaws, as has been described, and as the lay swings forward the slide-bars b will be moved forward, so that the reed B will traverse the warps from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, and as the slide-bars move in the direction of the arrow 25, Fig. 1, the cooperation of the racks b and gears 0 will operate to swing the pair of jaws 0 .0 from the position shown in Fig. 1 down toward the warps, and as the reed completes its forward stroke the lug 60 will strike the arm 0 and swing the latter on its pivot to close the jaw 0 upon its fellow c lVhen the reed moves, as described, it will comb up or separate from the mass of warps a broken warp end, pushing the latter before it and into the space between the jaws of the thread-catcher, (see Fig. 4,) which latter term I employ to designate the jaw-like devices, and the clutch of the jaws, effected as described, nips or catches the broken thread, it being remembered that the spring 3 will hold the jaws in closed position. As best shown in Fig. 2, the segment 0 has a flattened portion 0 and when the forward movement of the slide-bars b has carried the rocker-arms 0' into the position shown in Fig. 2 the fiat part 0 will engage with the upper edge of the reduced part b of the adjacent slide-bar and will act to lock those arms in such position during the remainder of the stroke. When the lay swings back, the slide-bars are moved from the position shown in Fig. 2 back into the position shown in Fig. 1, and in order to effect the proper engagement of the segment 0 with its cooperating rack 19 the lug 19 on the slide-bar engages an overhanging projection 0 on the segment and starts the lifting movement of the rocker-arm a, such starting operating to bring the teeth of the rack and segment-gear into proper cooperation to complete the retraction of the thread-catcher from the position shown in Fig. 2 into position shown in Fig. 1. A like operation pertains with the thread catcher comprising the jaws d 01 each of the segments (1 having a flattened portion at to cooperate with the top of the slide-bar and lock the rocker-arms d in their downward position, and the lug B on the slide-bar cooperates with a lug d on .the segment 01 to effect the proper cooperation of the rack 12 with the segment (I. On the backward stroke of the reed B therefore, the real-most threadcatcher is moved down into position to engage a broken warp end combed out by the reed on such stroke, while at the same time the front thread-catcher is swung up into the position shown in Fig. 1. On the forward stroke of the reed B the front thread-catcher is swung down into thread-catching position, while the rearmost thread-catcher is swung up into the position shown in Fig. 2 and its jaws opened at the termination of such movement. In either case, when the reed presents the end of a broken warp to one of the thread-catchers, the latter catches or nips the same and lifts it up when the thread-catcher is raised, as has been described. This catching of a broken warp by a thread-catcher is made operative to effect the stopping of the apparatus automatically by means now to be described.

A knock-off arm 7.: (see dotted lines, Fig. 1) is mounted on a shortrock-shaft pivoted in the loom side adjacent the shipper S, said rock-shaft having secured to it a depending arm 7r, bifurcated or forked at its right end at k to embrace a rod 70, mounted to rock and TIC also to slide longitudinally in suitable bearings 16 on the loom side and having collars 17 fast thereon on opposite sides of the forked end of the arm so A that longitudinal movement of the rod k in the direction of the arrow 18, Fig. 1, will operate, through the knock-off arm k, to release the shipper from its usual holding-notch. The rod k is provided with a hunter 70 which normally is held in the position shown in Fig. 1; but .if

the rod is rocked such hunter will be thereby turned into the path of movement of the adjacent lay-sword A so that on the forward movement of the lay'the hunter will be engaged and the rod 70 moved longitudinally in the direction of the arrow 18 to release the shipper. A second longitudinally-movable rocking rod 772 is mounted in bearings 19 on the loom side and at its forward end is provided with collars 20, between which the rod is embraced by the bifurcated end m of a lever m, fulcrumed at m on the loom side and having its upper end turned forward at m into engagement with the depending ar'm k on the rock-shaft 7%. The rod m is provided with a hunter m which is normally out of the path of the adjacent lay-sword A; but if the rod m is rocked, as will be described, the hunter will he swung into-the path of the lay-sword as the lay swings hack, and thereby the rod m will be moved longi tudinally in the direction of the arrow 18 Fig. 1. The rod 10 at its rear end has secured to ita rocker-arm k pivotally connected at its'extremity with the free end of a link 7;, upturned and curved at its upper end, as at W, and pivotally connected at k to a rocker-arm 7r, fast on a short shaft k mounted in the bracket A and inside of the bracket the shaft is provided with a rockerarm 7e the upper edge of which is above the warps. A light cross-rod 7& is secured at one end to the arm 7a and extends across the loom above the warps and is secured at its upper end to a similar arm (not herein shown) and fulcrumed on the opposite loom side, the fulcrum of such arm being in axial alinement with the short shaft 79. The arm 70 is provided with an outwardly-extended lateral lug 70 for a purpose to be described.

When the rocking slide-rod k is in normal position, the rod 70 willhe in the position shown in Fig. 1, and at such time the pivotal connection 70 between the link It and the short arm 73 will be just beyond the center of the short shaft 70 so that the parts will normally remain in such position. If now the front thread-catcher catches a broken warp presented to it on the forward movement of the reed B it will be manifest that the movement of the thread-catcher from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 1 will draw the broken warp up and around the transverse rod 70 and will lift the latter, thereby swinging the arm 75 so that the pivot it will, be carried past deadcenter, and the weight of the link will then operate to permit the rod 76v to turn in thethe rocker-arms 70 and h", respectively, the

rockin of the rod 70 swin in the arm 70 u b C b ward, so that its lug 10 will he in the path of movement of the adjacent rocker-arm c at the next downward movement of the threadcatcher. The rocking rod 'm is provided at its rear end with a short rocker-arm m connected by an upturned link m with a short rocker-arm m on a short shaft m mounted in the bracket A and this short shaft is provided at the inner side of the bracket A with an upturnedrocker-arm m to the free end of which is attached one end of a light cross-rod m above the warps and supported at its other end by a swinging arm similar to m and mounted in the opposite loom side.

In Fig. 2, at the right-hand end thereof, it is supposed that the adjacent thread-catcher has by catching a broken warp moved the cross-rod m to throw past dead-center the pivotal connection m between the rockerarm m and the link wa thereby permitting the weight of the link to turn the rod m sufficiently to bring the hunter m into the path of the lay-sword, to be engaged thereby on the backward stroke of the lay to move the rod longitudinally in the direction of the arrow 18 Fig. 1, and through the lever m m and the lever is to swing the knock-off arm 70 and release the shipper.- Now, with the parts in the position shown at the right, Fig. 2, when the rocker-arms d descend the lug m on the rocker-arm m will he engaged by the adjacent rocker-arm d and swung forward and downward, to thereby swing up the rocker-arm at until the pivot 'm is carried past dead-center above the short shaft m thus resetting the rod m in itsnormal position. A very slight movement of either of the cross-rods 70 or m is sufficient to throw the depending link of one or the other of said .devices past its center, the power necessary to effect this being very slight, so that the slight pull of the broken warp-thread against one of the transverse rods 70 or m is amply suflicient. After the movement past dead-center is thus efiected the completion of the turning movement of one or the' other of the knockoff rods 70* m as they may be termed, is effected, as has been stated, by the weight of the upturnedlink connected therewith. As soon as a caught warp end has operated to eifect the operation of the stopping mechanism it is neither necessary nor desirable that the thread-catcher'should continue to hold such warp end, and at that timethe jawopening means operates to open the jaws of IIO' the thread-catcher and release the warp end, so that the attendant can piece up.

I prefer to employ two thread-catchers, as herein shown and described, so that each stroke of the separating comb or reed E is the other end will be combed out of the mass of warps on the opposite stroke. A broken thread rarely, if ever, drops below the bottom of the said reed, as the intact threads adjacent the broken one tend to hold it up, the fuzzy character of the threads also acting to prevent the broken thread from dropping down. Even if one broken end should work below the reed the other end will with much greater probability be held up to be engaged by the reed on its opposite stroke, so that the chance of a falling thread is too remote to consider.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement herein shown and described, as the same may be varied or rearranged in different particulars without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

' 1. In a warp-stop-motion mechanism, a thread-catcher extended transversely of and normally vibratable toward and from the warps, to catch a broken warp, means to present a broken warp to the thread-catcher, stopping mechanism, and controlling means therefor actuated by or through the threadcatcher when a broken warp is caught thereby.

2. In a warp-stop-motion mechanism, a thread-catcher extended transversely of and normally vibratable toward and from the warps, to catch a broken warp, means reciprocating longitudinally of the warps to engage and present a broken warp to the threadcatcher, stopping mechanism, and controlling means therefor actuated by or through the thread-catcher when a broken warp is caught thereby.

3. In a warp-stop-motion mechanism, a thread-catcher extended transversely of and normally vibratable toward and from the warps, to catch a broken warp, a reed reciprocating longitudinally of the warps, to comb out a broken warp and present the same to the thread-catcher, stopping mechanism, and controlling means therefor actuated by or through the thread-catcher when a broken warp is caught thereby.

4. In a warp-stop-motion mechanism, a reed reciprocating longitudinally of the warps to comb outabroken warp, a thread-catcher normally vibratable toward and from the warps, to catch a broken warp presented by the reed, stopping mechanism, and controlling means therefor actuated by engagement with a broken warp when caught by the threadcatcher.

5. In a warp-stop-motion mechanism, a vibratin g thread-catcher ext-ended transversely of the warps, to catch a broken warp, a reed reciprocating in the direction of warp travel and through which the warps pass, to work out and present a broken warp to the thread catcher, stopping mechanism, and controlling means therefor including a member operatively movable by engagement with a broken warp when the latter is caught by the threadcatcher.

6. In a warp-stop-motion mechanism, a reciprocating reed movable longitudinally of the warps and through which the warps travel,two thread-catchers located at opposite ends of the path of movement of the reed, to catch a broken warp presented thereto by the reed, stopping mechanism; and controlling means therefor actuated by or through either thread-catcher when a broken warp is caught thereby.

7. In a warp-stop-motion mechanism, a reciprocating reed movable longitudinally of the warps and through which the warps trave1,two thread-catchers located at opposite ends of-the path of movement of the reed, means to rock them alternately toward the reed as the latterapproaches,to catch a broken warp combed out or separated from the intact warps by the reed, stopping mechanism, and controlling means therefor actuated by or through rocking movement of either threadcatcher when a broken warp is caught thereby.

8. In a warp-stop-motion mechanism, two thread-catchers movable toward and from the warps and extended transversely thereto, each thread-catcher including jaws, a reed reciprocating longitudinally of the warps between the thread-catchers, to comb out and present to the latter a broken warp, means operated by or through the reed to close the jaws of the thread-catcher toward which it is advancing, stopping mechanism operated by or through movement of a thread-catcher when a broken warp is caught thereby, and means to open the jaws as the thread-catcher completes its movement away from the warps.

9. In a warp-stop-motion mechanism, a rocking thread-catcher, including jaws extended above and transversely of the warps, reciprocating means to comb out or separate a broken warp and present it to the threadcatcher, connections between said means and the thread-catcher, to rock the latter toward ICC and away from the warps, devices to effect opening and closing of the jaws automatically at predetermined times, stopping mechanism, and controlling means therefor actuated by or through the thread-catcher when a broken warp is caught thereby.

10. In a warp-stop-motion mechanism, a reed reciprocating longitudinally of the warps, a rocking thread-catcher movable toward and from the warps, to catch a broken warp presented thereto by the reed, actuating connections between the latter and the threadcatcher, including an intermittently-cooperating rack and segment-gear, stopping mechanism, and controlling means therefor, said means including a member extending across the warps and normally adjacent thereto, the engagement of a broken warp by the threadcatcher operating through such warp to lift said member and therethrough effect the actuation of the controlling means.

11. In a warpstop-motion mechanism, a reciprocating reed movable longitudinally of the warps and through which the warps travel,two thread-catchers located at opposite ends of the path of movement of the reed, means to rock them alternately toward the reed as the latter approaches, to catch a broken warp combed out or separated from the intact warps by the reed, stopping mechanism, controlling means therefor, actuated by or through engagement with a broken warp held by the thread-catcher as the latter moves away from the warps, and means to automatically reset the said controlling means.

12. In a warp-stop-motion mechanism, two thread-catchers movable toward and from the warps and extended transversely thereto, each thread-catcher including jaws, a reed reciprocating longitudinally of the warps between the thread-catchers, to comb out and present to the latter a broken warp, means operated by the reed to close the jaws of a thread-catcher as a broken warp is presented thereto bythe reed, stopping mechanism actuated by retractive movement of either thread-catcher when a broken warp is caught thereby, and means to automatically open the jaws as the thread-catchers complete theirretractive movement.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH T. KENNEY, ROBERT F. RAYMOND. 

